KP prepared to hold LG polls next month: Khattak

PESHAWAR - Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pervez Khattak, has said that all preparations including delimitations have been completed for local bodies’ polls and April 30 has been proposed to the Supreme Court for the purpose.“Now in light of the directives of the apex court the provincial government is fully prepared for any date fixed by the Election Commission of Pakistan,” he added. He was talking to the delegations of the provincial cabinet of PTI Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Insaf Students Federation (ISF), which separately called on him here at the Chief Minister’s Secretariat.Progress made on the implementation of the reforms agenda of the provincial government, preparations regarding upcoming LG elections, problems of the respective areas, people welfare-oriented schemes and other matters of mutual interest were discussed during the meetings.The delegation of the PTI provincial cabinet was led by Provincial President Azam Khan Swati while ISF was led by its Provincial President Sohail Afridi. Those present on the occasion included Provincial Secretary General PTI Khalid Masood, Special Assistant to Chief Minister for Higher Education Mushtaq Ghani, Advisor to CM for Physical Planning Yasin Khan Khalil and Chairman District Development Advisory Committee (DDAC) Peshawar Ishtiaq Urmar.The chief minister said that the provincial government has laid the foundation of unique local government system which will actually empower people at grassroots level. He said that under this system, besides maximum administrative powers, 30 per cent development funds of the provincial government would also be transferred to local governments while Punjab and other provinces through copying the old local bodies’ government system have done a mockery and injustice with their people. Terming LG polls very important for the party and people of KP, the chief minister stressed on the PTI office-bearers to strictly adhere to the party discipline not only themselves, but also make it obligatory on the other workers to deliver to the people in real sense.The chief minister said, “Owing to better performance, revolutionary steps and people-friendly policies of the provincial government, we will not only win the local bodies’ elections, but will also remain triumphant in next general elections with thumping majority from the whole country.” Assuring immediate resolution of the problems highlighted by the delegations, the chief minister stressed on the provincial cabinet of PTI and office bearers of ISF to set aside their petty internal differences and forge unity and discipline in their ranks. He asked the party office-bearers and workers to make preparations for the forthcoming local bodies’ polls with a zeal and enthusiasm, activate party workers and further accelerate mass contact campaign.The chief minister further asked the party workers for the resolution of their internal differences in consultations at party level and refrain from involving in issues. Similarly they besides taking political allies along also exhibit full political maturity and learn about their limits. Regarding complaints about negative attitude of police and patwaris with the people, the chief minister said that corruption and bribery have been rooted out to maximum extent in both police stations and patwar khanas and now steps are being taken for bringing positive change in their behaviour with the people. He directed the party office bearers and workers to establish provincial and district level public complaint cells in consultations and approval of party leadership and connect it with central cell established in Chief Minister’s Secretariat to redress the complaints and problems of the people as soon as possible. He said that in last general elections the people have voted PTI into power for the sole aim of bringing about positive change and the accomplishment of this goal will automatically resolve all problems of the people.“Change does not mean the change of faces but the system.... a change in which there is quick dispensation of justice, no corruption in government departments, no bribery in patwar offices, no wrong is done to poor in police stations, there is education in schools and better treatment facilities in hospitals, recruitments, posting and transfers are made on the basis of merit instead of personal likings and un-likings and government jobs are not sold for money”; he added. He said that as Chief Minister, he is supposed to implement the policy of the party, and the same he would do at all costs whether it pleases someone or not adding that such a foolproof system is being put in place in the province in which there will be no political interference and neither bribery and nor political favour will work rather all the works will be done purely on the basis of merit while the public exchequer would be spent on developmental works and public welfare only. Referring to the reforms introduced in police, the Chief Minister said that for the first time in the history of the province police had been totally depoliticized. He revealed that on the pattern of education, health and other departments, all types of recruitment in police would be made through National Testing Service to ensure transparency and similarly reforms were being introduced in all other sectors as well. “I rectified almost everything in the province and can say with surety that positive change has been brought about to a great extent and people will feel optimistic environment in their surroundings with each passing day”, maintained the Chief Minister.Khattak said that corruption had been eradicated at upper level whereas there still noticed incidents of corruption at lower level. He was not only well aware of that but also taking effective measures to curb it adding that all those involved in corrupt practices will not only be exposed but be given exemplary punishment as well. “We are human beings and as such can commit mistakes, but we will not do anything wrong deliberately because not only the media but the party chief Imran Khan, young party workers and the general public always keep a vigilant eye on the performance of provincial government”, continued the Chief Minister and urged upon the party workers to point out the mistakes of the government so that the same could be rectified well in time.Pervez Khattak said that unlike the previous rulers they would neither appoint their blue eyed on executive posts in government, semi government departments and autonomous bodies nor there would be any posting/transfers on political basis rather all such postings and transfers would be made purely on the basis of merit adding that we will appoint efficient and impartial officials on higher posts even if they happen to be our opponents.On the complaints of ISF delegation about keeping illegal weapons by certain students groups in some public sector universities specially by boarder students in hostels, the Chief Minister directed the advisor for higher education, Mushtaq Ghani, to soon convene a joint meeting of the management of those universities, police and other relevant quarters to chalk out a strategy to purge the educational institutions and student hostels of weapons. He termed such activities in Universities as intolerable and said that those involved in disturbing the peaceful environment of educational institutions would be dealt with iron hands. He urged upon the students of ISF to mainly focus on their students and side by side play their part to spread the message of the party to every single household.The delegates of both the PTI provincial cabinet and ISF expressed their satisfaction on the measures and efforts of the provincial government to implement the change agenda and eliminate corruption and said that due to the revolutionary measures of the government change had begun to be visible and the public itself acknowledged the same. The assured their full support to the provincial government for the implementation of its reform agenda.